, what about thinking about the gaps in medicare? it's a good program if there's no coverage for hearing aids, hearing aids batteries, dental care, dentures. these are real needs for seniors. so these programs can be adjusted by improveing the efficiencies of the programs but maybe bringing home some revenue not going back to the old mantra of let's cut, cut, cut. >> woodruff: we hear you and i know those are arguments you've bullpen making all over washington. max ritchman, thank you so much. >> thank you so much. >> woodruff: and we'll have different perspectives in the coming days. online we have a report from our partners at kaiser health news on how the fiscal cliff could affect health care for the military and for medicare patients. >> brown: next, a potential crisis of a different kind, one that has new urgency after hurricane sandy and that also involves federal spending: rising sea levels. today, new york city mayor michael bloomberg announced a new long-term initiative to protect the city from future natural disasters. he c